48-Hour Weekend Cleanse

Be sure to print the complete shopping list in order to prepare all the recipes that accompany this plan!
The practice of detoxifying the body to rid it of unhealthy toxins
has been around for centuries. Hippocrates recommended fasting to
improve health, and many religious groups have historically used fasting
as a way of purifying the spirit.

Today the marketplace is
cluttered with detox diets that promise to help you lose weight, boost
your energy levels and more. However, many popular detox diets,
especially those that involve extreme low-calorie fasting, can rob the
body of important nutrients and place the body in starvation mode, which
actually slows your metabolism. Other downsides of many detox diets
include: dehydration, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and even colon damage.

The Body’s Detox System
Oftentimes
people don’t realize that the body has its own extraordinary internal
detoxification system. Here’s a brief look at three critical organs
involved:

The Liver: Your first line of defense against
toxins is your liver, which acts like a filter in preventing toxic
substances contained in foods from passing into your blood stream.

The Colon: This organ has bacteria that produce
both healthy and unhealthy chemicals. You want to keep your colon
flowing regularly since its main role is to flush out toxic chemicals
before they can do you any harm.

The Kidneys: Like clockwork, the kidneys are constantly filtering your blood and getting rid of toxins in the form of urine.

For a detox diet to truly work, you need to maintain these three key
organs by nourishing your body with the right nutrients.
48-Hour Weekend Cleanse is based upon eating certain “detoxifying” foods
that will keep these systems running smoothly. The plan couldn’t be
simpler to follow so you’re not always focused on what to eat next.
You'll need to prepare and eat the following meals and snacks two days
in a row. To get ready for the weekend cleanse, print out the complete
cleanse shopping list and make a trip to the supermarket here is the shopping list.

Breakfast: Quinoa With Prunes
Start
your morning off with a bowl of quinoa; this healthy whole grain is
also a complete protein, and it’s high in phosphorus and fiber. Top it
with prunes; they’re high in fiber and sorbitol, a chemical that acts
like a laxative.

Snack Items: Detox Drinks
Enjoy these healthy pick-me-ups in between meals throughout the day.

Kale, Pineapple and Ginger Detox Drink(Juicer required)
This
purifying beverage contains kale to cleanse the kidneys; pineapple,
which has bromelain to aid digestion; and ginger to help stimulate bile
flow in your gall bladder.

Alternate: Veggie Snack
Slice
and mix together celery, radishes and cucumber, or any assortment of
fresh vegetables. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Put this crunchy cleansing treat in plastic baggies or a portable
container so you can take it with you on the run. You can have as much
of this snack as you want throughout the day. Lunch: Fruit Smoothie
In a blender,
whip up a nourishing smoothie that contains blueberries, loaded with
quercetin, a flavonoid that boosts immunity and is good for your liver;
bananas, full of vitamin B6, an essential vitamin for liver
detoxification; and ground flaxseed, packed with brain-nourishing
omega-3s and fiber for healthy elimination.

Dinner: Vegetable Broth Soup
This
purifying broth contains fennel to help bile flow in your gallbladder;
garlic to help with liver and gall bladder function; cabbage, excellent
for detoxification in both the liver and kidneys; and shitake mushrooms
to boost liver enzymes. Serve soup with a side of sauerkraut with sliced
apples. Sauerkraut contains probiotics, the good bacteria that protect
your GI tract. Make sure to use traditionally fermented sauerkraut to
get the greatest health benefits. Apples boost both kidney and liver
function.